5G milestone as 2.6 billion connections reached worldwide

According to new data from 5G Americas and Omdia, global 5G connections climbed past 2.6 billion in Q2 2025 — a 37% year-over-year surge — and are projected to reach nearly 9 billion by 2030, representing 60% of all wireless connections worldwide.

In parallel, global cellular data consumption grew by 15% year over year, reaching 384 million TB in Q2 2025. This signals accelerating demand for next-generation connectivity that powers everything from streaming and gaming to smart factories and autonomous vehicles.

“These latest numbers show 5G’s extraordinary momentum worldwide, but particularly in North America, where both adoption and data usage are setting the pace,” said Viet Nguyen, President of 5G Americas. Indeed, North America does appear to be outpacing the rest of the globe in 5G adoption and data consumption, with the new data showing the region reached:

• 339 million 5G connections — covering 88% of the population and on track to surpass 100% coverage before the end of 2025.
• 43 million TB of cellular traffic during the quarter, averaging 111 GB per user per month — nearly double the next highest region (Oceania, Eastern and South Eastern Asia at 67 GB per user).
   

Beyond subscriber growth, 5G is fuelling the Internet of Things (IoT). Global IoT connections hit 3.8 billion in Q2 2025 and are expected to reach 5 billion by 2030. Increasingly, 5G is the backbone for mission-critical applications in smart factories, optimising production; autonomous logistics, improving supply chain efficiency; energy distribution, enabling smarter grids; and health care, powering telemedicine and remote monitoring.

“With penetration climbing and infrastructure expanding, 5G is entering a new phase as the backbone for IoT and digital transformation,” said Kristin Paulin, Principal Analyst at Omdia.

Image credit: iStock.com/solarseven